Donald Trump on Monday announced that U.S. forces carried out a second strike against what he described as a Venezuelan drug trafficking vessel, killing three people.
The move, which follows an earlier attack that killed 11, has fueled tensions with Caracas and raised questions over international law and due process.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the “kinetic strike” targeted “extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists” in the U.S. Southern Command’s area of responsibility.
He shared a video showing a boat floating in the sea before erupting into a fireball. “These extremely violent drug trafficking cartels pose a threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, and vital U.S. interests,” Trump declared.
Escalating confrontation with Venezuela
The strike comes just weeks after another attack killed 11 people, deepening hostilities between Washington and Caracas. Venezuela’s government has accused the U.S. of targeting harmless fishing vessels, claiming innocent lives are being lost.
The Venezuelan fishing industry, already struggling under economic hardship and sanctions, has expressed fears of further damage from U.S. military actions.
Rights groups and critics argue that the killings amount to extrajudicial executions, as suspects were not given the chance to face trial.
Observers also noted the U.S. military’s history of misidentifying vessels, warning that innocent civilians could be among the dead. Some questioned why suspects were not apprehended in U.S. waters instead of being killed abroad.
Trump’s warning to cartels
Trump doubled down on the policy, writing in capital letters: “BE WARNED — IF YOU ARE TRANSPORTING DRUGS THAT CAN KILL AMERICANS, WE ARE HUNTING YOU!”
Later, when asked by reporters to provide proof that the vessel carried narcotics, Trump said, “All you have to do is look at the cargo that was like it spattered all over the ocean – big bags of cocaine and fentanyl.”
However, the footage he posted did not clearly show drugs on board.
